Which perm is better lye or no lye

Lye relaxers have an active ingredient called sodium hydroxide and their pH level is considerably higher than a no-lye relaxer. The alkaline nature of the product causes irritation to your scalp and can also lead to burns. No-lye relaxers contain calcium hydroxide or guanidine hydroxide, and have a lower pH than lye relaxers. This makes the product gentler and safer for your scalp.

Contributing Writer. Del Sandeen is a contributing writer with over 20 years of experience in editorial. She has an expertise in natural hair and Black women's issues. Twitter Twitter. Featured Video. Braid Maintenance Tips for Black Hair. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for LiveAbout. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. No lye relaxers are typically classified as being extremely drying to the hair. After mixing the ingredients together, the chemical reaction within the relaxer creates calcium deposits which then develop on the hair shaft and decrease the hairs ability to absorb moisture.

Using a chelating shampoo to remove the mineral deposits can easily resolve this issue. Let's simplify this a bit further Box relaxer wasn't even an option! Nor did I know the difference at the time. Don't think I'll switch anytime soon : What type of relaxer do you use?

Lye or No Lye? Well, some of you may be in a state of confusion over the many products manufacturers have to offer. Everyone wants silky hair, but not everyone knows the difference between the relaxer brands.

Do you buy a no-lye relaxer or one that has lye in it? Simply put, the difference is the chemicals that are used in the formula. Not all relaxers are the same, and one brand may not work as well for you as it does another person.

Never put a relaxer on freshly-dyed hair or apply a lye relaxer on top of a no-lye relaxer. The switch between a no-lye relaxer and a lye relaxer should not be done all at once. When you find a good product, stick with that brand until it stops working for you. Also, you will also need to condition the hair routinely to prevent doing damage to the hair.

The active or main ingredient in a lye relaxer is sodium hydroxide. What this means is lye relaxers help to condition the hair because they rinse cleaner than a no-lye product. They also do not leave moisture-blocking agents behind. Lye relaxers break the bond between the strands and the chemicals quicker, leaving you with silky hair. The faster the chemicals work, the better this is for you. On the negative side, a lye relaxer will burn the scalp or cause the hair to stick to the scalp if left in too long or if the scalp is irritated.

The best suggestion is to follow the directions. However, if you insist on doing it yourself, apply it quickly and rinse out thoroughly. At the same time, you should not cheat yourself on time.

You will end up with some straight hair and some curly hair which equals to a botched relaxer job. Who needs that?